The Smart Dog U Blog

Timing is Everything!

I was working with a client tonight who said he really liked using the clicker - his dog really responded well to it. The more we talked, the clearer it became that he was using the clicker as an attention-getting-device, not as a tool to communicate to the dog that he was doing something good, something that would earn him a reward. He was clicking when his dog was barking. He said the dog quit barking as soon as he heard the click and ran to him for a treat. In the short view, this sounds great, but...

You get more of the behavior you click for. So if the dog is barking when you click, you're teaching your dog to bark MORE!

Clicker training is very powerful stuff, but only when the human's timing is right. An easy way to remember when to click: you get more of what you're clicking. So be careful what you click for, you'll definitely get more of it!

Happy training!

Merry Christmas!

Just a quick one today, as everyone's busier than busy... I hope everyone and every dog out there has a terrific Christmas, spent with the people and dogs you love.

I mentioned earlier that this is a special Christmas for our house - it's possibly Lucky's last, we feel ridiculously lucky to have Nemo here after all the fungus mess, and we have Rocky (the first service dog we raised) back for a visit. I'm taking a ton of pictures, taking time to just sit and enjoy the day and the dogs, and enjoying time with my family as well.

I hope everyone's enjoying themselves and their dogs today.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
All the creatures were stirring, and running, and jumping and playing.

And dissecting the giant plush bone I gave them in hopes of occupying them while I got last minute chores done. Now I still have five active dogs, plus white stuffing everywhere!

Anyway, enough of my housekeeping woes...

Nemo had another bandage change today. You wouldn't believe how good the incision looks! Wow! The good folks at Kingsbrook Animal Hospital custom-made a cool candy-cane and Christmas tree (with presents!) design for his most festive holiday bandage!

I'm still surprised at the length of the incision, but it's healing really well! No blood, no gaps in the staples, no infection...I'll keep my fingers crossed that it continues to do well. Only another 10 days until the staples come out!

That's it for tonight - still a ton of things to do .

Changes are A'Comin'!

I'm getting a head start on some new and exciting things I've got lined up for 2008. This blog is one of them. Maybe a new web design, possibly some new courses, lots of ideas swirling around in this little head of mine.

I also want to share a little secret... I've found a terrific photographer - photojournalist, to be exact - who is great with dogs. She's local here in the Washington-Baltimore metro area and Smart Dog University just had a session with her.

Shannon Zirkle. Check her out. Click on the "Pets" section and you'll see Tango, my yellow Lab. She took over 300 photos at our session and I had to narrow it down to 20. 20! And they were all really good. The photos from from the shoot will show up on the new site, in some new publications, and definitely on my wall at home!

If you're looking for a way to capture your dog (or cat, I'm not biased) and get yourself a piece of art as well, you should give her a call. Tell you heard about her from me here at Smart Dog University. And then let me know how your photos turned out!

Christmas Eve Eve

  I was up until after midnight last night playing around with the millions of settings for this blog. Sometimes there are just too many options, y'know?

Anyway, I figure no one knows about this blog just yet, the official launch will be New Year's Day, so I have a few days to play around with it.

Despite the warm temperatures we're having now, we had the whole nine yards when we got our Christmas tree this year - there was snow on the ground and it was snowing while we cut our tree! Gotta love it! The dogs all had a great time, except Nemo was a little chilly, even in his sweater. Notice that there's no bandage on Nemo's leg: we were between surgery #2 and #3.

Good luck to everyone trying to get everything done between now and Tuesday. Don't forget to get something special for your dog! (I gave our guys one - just one - of their goodies today. I couldn't help it, I was too excited! They loved it!)

Smart Dog Debut

So this is the blog. Welcome. I'm not a blogger. Not really all that good with technology and all. But I'll get there. And you're welcome to come along for the ride.

What I do know is dogs, and dog behavior. So, if you can put up with my blogging learning curve, I'll try to give you some tips and insights that'll help you understand and teach your dog.

It's the weekend before Christmas, all things are zooey here. Presents still need to be wrapped, the house is a mess, dog hair everywhere. But, there's lots of good news, too. The most important news: Nemo's third surgery is behind us, and the pathology reports came back. The good news: there's no bad news! Apparently with a fungus like Nemo's, that's the best we can get -- no bad news. There was no evidence of the fungus in the deepest tissue. All this doesn't really mean the fungus is gone, just that no one can find it. Nemo will stay on the (wickedly expensive!) anti fungal medication for the full four months, and we'll keep a watchful eye on the incision and hope for the best.

Another bit of good news: Lucky's still with us! His congestive heart failure and other heart ailments will eventually take his life, but we're hoping for a peaceful Christmas with him. The dog-paw stockings are overflowing with rawhides, squeaky toys, and goodies for the dogs. We'll let them unwrap them all by themselves, and they'll love it. Lucky, especially.

One last bit of good news, then I'll stop. We've got a special visitor for Christmas: the first service dog we raised, Rocky! His family's headed out to the West Coast for the holidays and we get him for almost two whole weeks! Lily's in second heaven with her most favorite dog ever back in the house.

Ok, I promised some doggie tips in this blog, so let's get to it! There are way too many things out this time of year that are dangerous to your dog. You know the usual suspects: poinsettias, chocolate, and onions. But also remember to keep them away from raisins (think Oatmeal Raisin cookies), grapes, and sugar-free products that contain xylitol. Here's a number you might want to keep handy - the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline:  (888) 426-4435.